Broil King has been making BBQs since the 1980s. However, they are not a well-established brand in the pellet grill market for the reason being they only started to produce pellet grills in 2019. However, after researching the Broil King Crown and Regal pellet grills, I must admit I’m pretty impressed. The build quality, materials and features included in the Broil King pellet grills at their target price point do make them a valid consideration/alternative to more established pellet grills from Traeger or Camp Chef.
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I recently wrote a post about Weber’s first attempts at producing pellet grills/smokers with the Weber SmokeFire.
Unfortunately, the first generation of SmokeFire grills does have issues that Weber needs to go back to the drawing board to address.
Therefore, when I became aware that Broil King also wished to enter the pellet grill market, I was curious how they would fair.
Would they be able to produce pellet grills right out of the gate which could compete with established pellet grill/smoker brands? Well, the early signs are looking very positive.
The Crown and Regal pellet grills are not budget products, but they are also not aimed to compete with luxury pellet grills either such as the Traeger Timberline.
They are targeted as your middle-of-the-road grills for the average guy or girl’s backyard cooking needs.
Introduction To Broil King Pellet Grills
Broil King is marketing their pellet grills as being capable of both ‘low and slow’ cooking/smoking and high-temperature searing.
For instance, both the Broil King Crown and Regal pellet grills have a peak cooking temperature of 600 degrees.
A cooking temperature that high is not often found on many pellet grills, particularly at this mid-range price point.
There are several other features on these pellet grills which are also not commonly found on competing products which I’ll discuss more below.
Crown and Regal Pellet Grill Cooking Areas
The Crown is the lower-priced option of the two, with the Regal benefiting from a few additional features. In terms of the cooking area, there are a couple of pellet grill models under each specification.
Even though the Crown grills have the same width as the Regal units, the additional depth on the Regal grills provides for extra cooking area:
- Broil King Crown 440 – 26″ Wide Grill, Total Grilling Area = 570 Sq. Inches
- Broil King Crown 550 – 32″ Wide Grill, Total Grilling Area = 750 Sq. Inches
- Broil King Regal 400 – 26″ Wide Grill, Total Grilling Area = 630 Sq. Inches
- Broil King Regal 500 – 32″ Wide Grill, Total Grilling Area = 825 Sq. Inches
Build Quality and Materials
I’ve yet to inspect the Broil King pellet grills in person, so I have to judge the build quality on the specifications and details available on these units.
What I will note is these are heavy pellet grills, especially for their segment. For instance, the Broil King pellet grills weigh between 135 and 160 lbs!
The reason for this is that the Crown grills are made from 1.4mm (16 gauge) steel and the Regal grills are made from 2mm (14 gauge) steel.
While obviously using thicker steel than the average pellet grill does increase weight, it also has several associated benefits.
For instance, while a heavier grill may require more effort to move around, once its in position it will be more stable.
I do also think Broil King has done a good job with the large 8″ wheels with adjustable feet on the other side to provide stability while in use.
The use of thicker steel plates also means these pellet grills will be better able to withstand corrosion over time from cooking and from the elements.
Another benefit of using thicker steel is these grills will be better able to hold in their heat.
There is also quite a bit of stainless steel used on these Broil King pellet grills. For instance, the grease drip tray, heat deflector and pellet firepot are all thick gauge stainless steel.
Again, this is a feature not commonly found on pellet grills positioned/priced as mid-range products.
The Broil King Pellet Firepot & Ash Removal
When I first saw the promotional video from Broil King above, their pellet firepot/ash removal solution definitely stood out to me.
While pellet grills are very convenient, you do still have to clean a pellet grill of ash from time to time. How frequently you have to get an ash/shop vac into the base of the grill depends on a couple of factors.
First, have you been doing short/hot cooks (steaks) or long ‘low and slow’ cooks (brisket)?
Typically, for quick/average cooking times with hot dogs/burgers etc, you will need to clean out a pellet grill after 3-4 cooks. With long cooks, you may need to clean out the pellet grill after each one.
However, the pellet firepot design/ash management system on the Broil King pellet grills should reduce how often you need to get out the ash vac.
On the front of the Crown and Regal pellet grills is a slider that can be operated even when the grill is hot with the included tool.
By moving the slider back and forth, it can rotate the agitator in the base of the firepot to let the ash fall down into the draw below.
Camp Chef on their SmokePro and Woodwind pellet grills have a slide valve that lets the ash drop down into a removable steel cup.
Its a very effective and convenient means of ash removal. However, its also patented.
Therefore, Broil King had to come up with a different solution for ash removal. While I think Camp Chef’s solution is good, I actually think Broil King’s ash management solution is even better.
WiFi/Bluetooth Controllers
Both the cheaper Crown and more expensive Regal pellet grills have WiFi/Bluetooth controllers.
I’m not sure as yet whether these are true PID controllers, as I’m waiting to hear feedback from Broil King on that one. I’m also not sure on the full functionality of the smartphone app.
As I discussed in my Traeger WiFire vs Camp Chef Connect post, there are differences between the features provided by different pellet grill manufacturers.
However, both control panels appear bright and easy to read. The rotating temperature dial on the Regal pellet grills would be my preference, but both controllers appear easy to use.
Both the Crown and Regal pellet grill controllers have two meat probe ports which are nice to have.
What I particularly like about the Broil King displays are the dedicated sections on the screen to show the meat probe sensor temperatures.
On several other pellet grill controllers, such as the first generation Traeger Pro Controller you had to press a button to see the temp of the meat prob.
However, with the Broil King displays its always on show, so you can quickly look down to see everything is going to plan.
Its also a nice touch to have angled the displays upwards so you don’t have to dip down to see what’s going on.
Furthermore, both the Crown and Regal controllers feature three quick temperature setting buttons.
There is a 225-degree smoking setting, a 350-degree roasting setting and a grilling/searing setting at 600 degrees.
Cast Iron Cooking Grids
Both the Crown and Regal pellet grills come with cast iron cooking grids, which, again, is not a feature you will commonly find on many pellet grills.
Most other grills use either chrome-plated steel, porcelain-plated steel or stainless steel racks on the premium pellet grills. However, the benefit of cast iron cooking grids is superior heat retention.
Therefore, as the Broil King pellet grill range has a high maximum temperature setting of 600 degrees, along with the cast iron cooking grids that provides these pellet grills with the ability to successfully sear your meat, fish or vegetables.
I also like how the cast iron cooking grids on both the Crown and Regal pellet grills are reversible, with each side suited to a different function.
You have the pointed side to give you the classic grill mark look on your steaks and burgers.
On the other side of the grids, there are groves which, as stated in the video above, can capture juices/fats and vapourise them back into the food as its cooks.
Its this attention to detail and effort which has gone into the design of these grills which makes me believe that Broil King will be a significant player in the pellet grill market in the coming years.
Pellet Hopper Capacities
Where the Crown and Regal pellet grills do differ is in their BBQ wood pellet hopper capacities.
Both versions of the Crown feature an 18lb pellet hopper, whereas both versions of the Regal pellet grills feature a 22lb pellet hopper.
The 18lb pellet hopper on the Crown units will still provide you with many hours of continuous cooking/smoking.
However, the larger 22 lb hoppers found in the Regal models do have a clear benefit. BBQ pellets come in 20 lb bags.
Therefore, there can be a couple of pounds still in the hopper as the grill is running and you can still fit in a full bag of pellets. Its just a bit more convenient than the smaller 18lb hopper.
All of the Broil King pellet grills have a pellet release door on the back of the hopper. This means its easier to change from one pellet flavour to the next.
However, it importantly also makes it easy to empty out any unused wood pellets before you put the pellet grill into storage.
You should not leave wood pellets in the hopper as, over time, they will absorb moisture from the air and expand. This can potentially lead to an auger blockage.
Rotisserie Kit
Another notable feature that sets the Broil King pellet grills apart from the competition is their Rotisserie Kit.
If you wish to roast a couple of chickens, the Rotisserie Kit will help you to produce some of the best results possible. The Rotisserie Kit is included on the Regal models but not on the Crown units.
Though the Rotisserie Kit will fit into the Crown pellet grills, you just have to purchase it as an optional extra. On the back of the Regal pellet grills, there are also some additional hooks to store the Rotisserie Kit when not in use.
Broil King Crown & Regal Pellet Grill Reviews
I’m personally very impressed with these pellet grills from Broil King. However, I’m yet to see these grills in person and test their capabilities.
Therefore, I like to add owner video reviews to my posts when I can find them. The written reviews for both the Crown and Regal grills appear to be generally very positive on BBQGuys.com.
However, I’m yet to find a well-round owner video review to include in this post.
What I have come across is a good comparison video from the Tin Man YouTube channel discussing the differences between the Crown and Regal grills.
The video above does a good job of comparing the Crown and Regal pellet grills. For instance, another notable difference which I forgot to mention above, is the chimneys.
Where the Crown vents horizontally, the Regal uses a chimney stack with a ‘Roto-Draft Damper’.
What this means is on the Regal, you have more control over how quickly/easily smoke leaves the grill. With the included tool, you can adjust the Roto-Draft Damper while the grill is running.
You wouldn’t obviously want to touch the damper with your hands while the grill is running unless you wanted a third-degree burn.
Conclusions On The Broil King Crown and Regal Pellet Grills
I’m genuinely very impressed with these pellet grills from Broil King. In terms of features and material choices, these grills are proper competition for other grills in the practical pellet grill class.
If I was being picky, I would have hoped that ‘Broil King’ would have added a feature to let the flames from the pellet fire through the grease/drip tray so you could flame broil.
This feature is found on several Camp Chef and Pit Boss grills, and I think its something Broil King should consider in the future, especially considering their namesake.
However, the grills as they are, I think, are still an excellent first attempt at a pellet grill which they should be proud of.
The ash management solution is a stand-out feature along with the cast-iron racks, 600-degree maximum temperature setting and rotisserie kit.
That’s it! Thanks for reading; I hope you found this overview of the Broil King Crown and Regal pellet grills interesting.
As I stated above, you can read reviews on these pellet grills over at BBQGuys.com where they have some excellent deals and finance options.
If you are interested in other makes/models of pellet grills, please browse my Wood Pellet Grill/Smoker Guide. 🙂
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